Election Commission Simplifies Document Verification in SIR; Issues Four-Point Action Plan to States

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a four-point action agenda to 12 states and Union Territories to streamline the document verification process under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The move aims to make it easier for voters whose names were omitted from the draft voter lists to complete the verification process.

Four-Point Verification Agenda

1. Document Submission via BLO App: Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will allow voters to submit additional documents required to prove eligibility, including those from previous SIR lists, through the BLO app for verification.
2. Five-Day Verification Timeline: District Election Officers (DEOs) must verify all received documents on ECINET within five days of receipt.
3. Cross-District Verification: If a document is issued by a department in another district within the same state, the DEO will forward it via ECINET to the concerned district for verification.
4. Inter-State Verification: For documents issued by other states, the DEO will forward them to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of their own state, who will then coordinate with the counterpart CEO of the issuing state for prompt verification.

Relieving Voter Concerns

The new guidelines are expected to address concerns of voters whose names were omitted in the previous SIR draft. Notices are being issued for additional verification, allowing voters to submit supporting documents and present their case in person.

Impact on Draft Voter Lists

So far, over 3.7 crore names have been removed during the current SIR process. Tamil Nadu saw the highest number of deletions, with 97 lakh names removed from a total of 6.4 crore voters. Gujarat had 73 lakh deletions, and West Bengal 58 lakh. Across the 12 states and Union Territories, 36 crore out of 51 crore voters underwent scrutiny. The release of UP’s draft roll on January 6, 2026, is expected to increase these numbers significantly.

The Election Commission’s initiative ensures transparency and efficiency in the voter verification process, addressing public concerns while safeguarding the integrity of electoral rolls.

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